Strengthening Roof Rafters

Just make one of the rafter members extend beyond the cross tie.

Strengthening roof rafters.

If your roof is strong enough it can extend beyond the support walls without external bracing. Drive the remaining carriage bolts into the two by six rafter and tighten them all up. A cantilever is any structure such as a roof or floor overhang that is braced internally. If there are other rafters that need to be repaired follow the same procedure for each one of them.

Before you cut your boards you ll need to measure the width of your building and calculate the exact length of each rafter. If you re framing a gable roof on a new house or building a shed or even a doghouse with a gable roof you ll need to cut a number of roof rafters. The roof rafters provide integral structural support to the roof. This is a fairly basic project that can help protect your roof but consult a structural.

Carry the cut lumber and framing supplies into the attic. Take 2 6x4 as long as your longest stored lumber and cut 2 inch deep grooves in them as wide as your 2x6 is thick every foot or so. Install these over your existing horizontal 2x6s 2 feet from the roof edge inside and paralel to the roof ends crosswise from your existing 2x6. You can strengthen the roof to prevent damage by adding braces to the roof rafters inside your attic.

Repeat the process for the joist beneath your old roof rafter. Measure the dimensions of the old rafters beneath your roofing surface. Use your tape measure to record the distance of both rafter legs. Place a long piece of framing lumber alongside the.

If you are building trusses it is easy to make part of the roof into a cantilevered extension. Use a circular saw to cut two sets of new rafters from the same size wood by the same dimensions.